Lewis BealesHaving won the final two Ginetta G20 junior races, Toftwood teenager Tom Howard has made himself one of the favourites to lift the all new Ginetta G40 junior crown in 2010.Lewis Beales

Having won the final two Ginetta G20 junior races, Toftwood teenager Tom Howard has made himself one of the favourites to lift the all new Ginetta G40 junior crown in 2010.

The local racer will be rejoining Besthorpe-based TJ Motorsport, the most successful team of the G20 era with 17 victories to its name, for the coming season.

"I should be testing my new car tomorrow at Snetterton," said an excited Howard. "I have driven the test car and the G40 has a bigger engine, making it faster and it handles better, especially in the wet."

Last year was Howard's first full season and the 14-year-old started off with fifth place in the opening race at Brands Hatch and then claimed his first podium position with a third place finish in the second race around the Kent track.

The series, which is one of the support races on the British Touring Car Championship, then moved on to the very fast Thruxton circuit where Howard finished in eighth and ninth places respectively.

The series then moved on to Donington Park and the local racer again finished in ninth place, following it up with 14th in the second event.

Oulton Park was the next venue and Howard was back in the top five in the opening race and followed this up with ninth place in race two.

Croft, in North Yorkshire, is the closet track to the Leeds-based Ginetta factory and Howard claimed his third fifth-place finish followed by his second 14th place in race two.

Snetterton followed and on home turf Howard was once more able to show his early season pace by taking sixth place in the opening race, improving by two positions in the second event.

Howard secured seventh place in the opening race at Knockhill in Scotland and, around the tight and twisty circuit, he followed it up with 10th in race two.

The opening race at Silverstone was the first time that Howard didn't reach the chequered flag as he retired after just two laps but bounced back in race two to claim fifth place.

The penultimate races in the championship took place at Rockingham Speedway and the local racer made his second visit of the season to the podium with third place at the Corby circuit.

Race two saw the Toftwood racer repeat his third place for his strongest weekend in the series so far.

The final races took place back at Brands Hatch, this time on the longer Grand Prix circuit, with Howard taking seventh place in the opening race before claiming his fourth podium place, with third place again in the final race of the season.

The mini winter series followed and after two more third places at Snetterton, Howard returned to Rockingham and claimed two very impressive victories, narrowly failing to win the converted title.